Monitoring Desk
LONDON: The UK government on Saturday announced it would allocate thousands of tickets for the Eurovision song contest to the citizens Ukraine who came to UK after the war.
Ukraine had won the competition in 2022 and was due to host the event this year.
After the war broke out in Ukraine, the United Kingdom agreed to host the event on Ukraine’s behalf and said it would honor Ukrainian culture and people as a sign of solidarity.
In a recent statement British Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said that Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine means the event cannot be held where it was decided. However, they were honored to be supporting the Liverpool and BBC in hosting it on their behalf and were determined to make sure the Ukrainian people would be at the heart of this event.
UK announces 10 mln pounds to represent Ukraine’s culture
About 3,000 tickets will be made available for the displaced Ukrainians, while the government of UK has also announced 10 million pounds (nearly $12 million) in funding to properly represent the culture of Ukrainian in the event.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko said the move will allow their compatriots here to enjoy the event and celebrate their country’s rich culture and music.
The mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson said Ukraine was at the heart of all their Eurovision host city plans.
“Working with our Ukrainian community, we are shaping a powerful and thought-provoking and event that is all-encompassing and representative of modern Ukraine, inspiring, poignant, beautiful, funny and moving,” she said.
Russia initiated what it calls “a special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24, last year. According to latest UN figures, the conflict resulted death of about 8,006 civilians, with nearly 13,300 wounded,
